The child thought a moment, and then said, "That He sees me ev'ry day, and is sorry with me when I'm naughty. But, Aunt Margaret, what made you look so sorry at me, as if you knew, before I told you."
"I did know, Belle."
"Why, how? Did God tell you?"
"Aunt Bessie was coming along the street on the other side of the ball-ground, and she saw a little figure on the top of the fence; and she knew who it was, and felt frightened lest you should fall and be hurt; for she was too far away to be of any help. But God took care of the little girl who did not care for herself, and let her come down off the fence without being killed as she might have been. Aunt Bessie saw that you had come down safely, and then she came here and told me about it. She did not know that you were hurt, nor did I; and I felt anxious to know if you would come and confess your fault, and though I am sorry that you were disobedient, I do not feel half as badly as I should have done if you had tried to hide it."
"I'd have told you quicker, Aunt Margaret, only we were afraid you'd be too shocked, and Bessie made up that way to tell you."
"You were very considerate," said Mrs. Bradford, smiling as she remembered Bessie's roundabout fashion of bringing out her story.
Belle sat still with a grave face for a few moments, thinking of what her kind friend had said.
"Aunt Margaret," she then began, "God took good care of me; but He did not take very good care of my foot, did He?"
"Yes, Belle; this little foot might have been so crushed by that stone that you never would have been able to walk again; but God watched over it, and only let it be hurt enough to remind it not to run into naughty, disobedient ways. He has been very good to you, dear."
Just then, Patrick came to say some visitors were in the other room; and Mrs. Bradford, giving Belle a picture-book, told her to amuse herself with it till she came back.